Caring For Kasumi
by HimuraAlucard
Summary: Everyone's going on a weekend holiday except for Ranma...and Kasumi.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer:  
  
I do not own Ranma or Kasumi or any of the characters that are involved in this my story. They belong to their respective owners. This R+K fic of mine is AU and OCC but it may contain scenes of WAFF and maybe way 2 much WAFF I'm not sure...don't really know how much WAFF is too much WAFF haha. Also I never usually ask you guys I mean those who read my stories to review and I ain't asking now either it'd just be nice if you just give me your honest opinion on this story be it good or bad.  
  
A really big thank you goes out to dennisud who gladly preread this story for me and showed me the numerous errors of my writings and pointed them out to me... H.A bows and says to him Arigato-Gozaimasu.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
*finds someplace to hide first*  
  
I'm really sorry to those people who've read my previous R+K stories because I've started this one (and really really have finished this honestly only 3 chapters that's all done) when I've still have other stories still hanging around here *see many hanging fics that float around me like the floating castle of Laputa hehe ( I don't own Laputa either...the great maestro Hayao Miyazaki owns it as well as Nausicaa and Kiki's Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away...u get the point) *smacks myself for over meaningless rambling*  
  
Truth is I've sorta lost the sense of direction of those story, lacks inspiration or huge case of writers block on those fics...maybe my own fault cause I was so used to writing one shots at that time that it took me time to adjust to writing stories with chapters. I am trying my best to finish them up as soon as I get my head back on straight. RL isn't helping me much...on this matter. Anyway I better shut up and let you the good people read my story.  
  
Hope you guys and gals like it.  
  
Himura Alucard. 


	2. Chapter 1

Caring For Kasumi  
  
By  
  
Himura Alucard  
  
Chapter 1  
  
It was just going to be another normal weekend, or so Ranma thought when he noticed on the kitchen calendar that tomorrow was a Friday. "What?!" he exclaimed when he heard the news being told to him. The cause for his outburst during dinner...was that except for him and Kasumi, everyone would be leaving the Dojo early the next morning and won't be returning until late Sunday evening.  
  
First, old master Happosai had proclaimed that he was going to take his two worthless disciples on a training trip to the coast, but the old lecher just really wanted to get to the beach to ogle at the numerous young female sun worshipers and their luscious Bikini's. Secondly, Nabiki had already enrolled herself into a 'how to get rich' seminar over in Tokyo for the weekend while Akane she had been invited to stay over the weekend at her classmates summer home.  
  
"So that means 3 days without that uncute tomboy Akane, no pops to mess with me, no old pervert to harass me and no Nabiki to extort money from me...sounds like a good weekend to me." Ranma smiled a little when he came to that conclusion but his face dropped a little when he came to realize that he would be left alone with Kasumi. The truth was ... he didn't mind being left alone with Kasumi. It's just that he was too comfortable being together with her as in they don't talk much and don't get in each other business unless needed.  
  
Ranma was more worried about getting bored over the weekend, so he sulked up the stairs and entered his room. Ranma watched his father crying as he packed up his bag for his 'trip'. Later that night Ranma couldn't get any sleep as his mind kept on trying to think of something that would keep him preoccupied, his idea of being busy meant not having to deal with his other fiancées or rivals. He had enough of them already during the weekdays. "Uh...what am I going to do with the time...train? I do that everyday. And I don't like to go wandering around town unless I have something to do there also...Ah!!! Hopeless I'd just wing it and see what comes up I guess..." with that last mental sigh he forced himself to sleep.  
  
As the sun began to rise the whole family gathered around the main gate to say their farewells some willingly while others were a little hesitant to leave. "Ranma please take care of my daughter while I am away..." echoed Soun's trailing voice. His head bowed low mirroring his best friend's Genma stooped posture as the two grown men side by side were slowly dragged by their gi collars by the diminutive figure of Happosai down the road. "Well Ranma...don't destroy the house while I'm gone okay. I don't want to learn how to make a fortune and then waste it on repairs..." winked Nabiki as she got into her waiting cab. This meant leaving only Akane to say her own unique kind of farewell to her fiancée.  
  
"Ranma...you better don't do anything perverted to my sister because if you do and I find out about it you shall pay dearly...you understand?!" she said to the half awake boy. Akane's farewell to Ranma sounded more like a death treat to anyone else but Ranma didn't seem to mind. After all being half asleep all he managed to do was to nod his head and wave weakly and moan "Uh...yeah...good riddance...uncute gorilla butt" Akane heard the last part of his 'farewell' and once again out of thin air her always handy mallet-sama came a crashing down on his head leaving him smashed three feet into the ground amidst a dust cloud.  
  
"Kasumi...if he tries to do anything..." Akane was about to go on about warning how big a pervert she thought of Ranma but her oldest sister simply smiled at her. "Akane...I trust Ranma wouldn't do anything of the sort." Came her simple reply. Akane simply shrugged her shoulders and sneered at his embedded fiance' as she walked down the same road the rest of her family taken earlier, she couldn't understand how could Kasumi put her trust in that pervert.  
  
"Ranma are you okay?" asked Kasumi as she gracefully knelt down by the pile of boy that was embedded into the concrete pathway she knew as Ranma. "Zzzzzzz..." Ranma gently snored back at her. "The boy could sleep anywhere I guess" she sighed with a smile to herself. Kasumi gently dragged the boy to somewhere where he would at least be more comfortable sleeping on, but she had to settle on the front porch as she soon ran out of strength. She thoughtfully brought and placed a small pillow under his head and left him to continue his slumber while she went on with her usual morning chores. It was late morning when Ranma finally decided to open his eyes, an action he would regret later. As soon as his eyelids cracked opened he was boorishly blinded by the bright sun's morning rays.  
  
"Ouch...! Wait a minute why am I sleeping on the porch." He asked himself. The small bump he felt on his head brought back the memories "Oh...I got hammered by that uncute tomboy...again"  
  
"I hope there's still some breakfast left for me...Kasumi always keeps my share if I'd miss it..." Ranma smiled at the thought of Kasumi's breakfast.  
  
Entering the kitchen which was empty Ranma straight away went to check the kitchen cabinets, fridge and sure enough neatly wrap inside a cupboard was his breakfast albeit a little cold. Ranma didn't wait long as with his chopsticks magically appearing in hand devoured it in a flash. Feeling his satisfied tummy he gleefully went back out to the garden. He looked around and he already felt bored. Leaping over the stone wall Ranma decided to see if there was anything worth doing around town.  
  
"The house is quiet with everyone gone ... sometimes I wish we didn't have such a big house." Kasumi thought to herself as she walked into the kitchen carrying the now empty laundry basket. Seeing the empty bowls that Ranma had thoughtfully washed for her in the sink she knew that the boy was now up and about. Looking around the house Kasumi was trying to find Ranma to ask if he would mind accompanying her to the market to help her carry a sack of rice that she had needed to get. But after failing to find the pig- tailed boy she decided that she would manage somehow.  
  
Meanwhile, Ranma had practically walked all the way around Nerima and was getting even more bored to death by the second. He had found nothing worth his attention and he had also intentionally chosen paths that would not lead him to areas of 'high intensity' namely the Cat-Café, Ucchan's and the Kuno Mansion. Looking up as if there was nothing else better to do Ranma noticed a few black clouds had started to gather around the once clear blue sky. "Looks like it might rain...I better get back home fast. I don't feel like walking around town soaked and in my girl form."  
  
With that Ranma took a mighty leap and started to roof hop back to the Dojo. Kasumi also noticed the dark clouds gathering above her but being weight down by the rather heavy bag of rice she wasn't able make much ground then she normally would in case of rain. "Please don't rain until I reach home...I've hung my favorite bed-sheets out to dry today..." Kasumi whispered those words to the heavens. It was almost like her prayer to the Kami's high above her. But on this day the Kami's would not obey her as within five minutes the heavens opened up above her and poured forth rain.  
  
"Ah...made it in time..." heaved Ranma as he made his way into the living room before the rain which was now beating heavily down outside of him had caught him. "Nothing better to do again but since I missed morning practice might well put in some extra hours practicing." Ranma looked outside at the rain and laughed a little before heading off to the Dojo.  
  
Kasumi now heavily soaked through and a little crossed with herself for not bringing an umbrella with her managed put down most of the half soaked afternoon groceries on the kitchen counter. "Oh my...the bed sheets..." she gasped and quickly ran to the garden to quickly bring in the rain soaked laundry. Kasumi was always the one to think of the bright side of things and but today she felt that her day couldn't get any worst but seeing her once pristine clean sheets rained through, she herself having been soaked in the same rain and adding to her worries she was now off her normal schedule. Kasumi felt that today ranked pretty much as being a bad day for her. After only managing to half dry her hair she had began to rewash back the bed-sheets to avoid them staining and that took her almost an hour. She didn't believe in machine washing the delicate fibers she rather did them by hand. Once she had them drying in the laundry room she rushed down to the kitchen to prepare dinner for herself and Ranma.  
  
Kasumi had begun as always to boil the water and take out the main ingredients needed to make their dinner but she oddly felt slightly off. Her head felt a little light and she was feeling unusually warm and if Kasumi had taken the time to notice she was actually breaking into a cold sweat. But being true to her duties Kasumi continued on with her cooking totally ignoring the changes her own body felt. Kasumi didn't know what hit her afterwards as she suddenly felt weak at the knees and faint. Looking down at her hands she noticed her vision began to blur and bit by bit she slowly sank downwards to the floor. She had tried to lean on the kitchen counter to get her balance back but she only managed to cushion her fall. By then Kasumi had slowly slumped to the floor and fainted, her body, limp leaning back against the counter.  
  
While all this was going on Ranma unknowingly continued on with his Kata routines in the nearby dojo unaware of what just happen. Beads of sweat poured down Ranma's face as he finally stopped to get his breathe back. "That's enough for now ... I wonder what Kasumi's doing? I haven't seen her for almost the whole day." Ranma thought to himself as he made his way out of the Dojo and into the kitchen via the wooden walkway.  
  
The once heavy rain had stopped falling leaving behind pools of water on the grass surface. On opening the kitchen door Ranma could see the pots boiling on the stove and the various ingredients on the kitchen counter that were left untouched. "Strange...Kasumi wouldn't leave the kitchen looking like this..." Ranma looked around carefully while slowly entering the room ready to react if someone or something had gotten hold of Kasumi. That thought made him worry with fear for all the various reasons. One he hadn't seen her since morning and second he was supposed to be the one protecting her while the rest of the family was away and all he managed to do was to leave her alone by herself...defenseless.  
  
Ranma carefully walked over to the kitchen counter still weary for any signs of movement when all of a sudden his right leg brushed against something. Ranma's eyes looked down "No...sweet Kami please no..." he gasped as he dropped to the floor and stared at the still figure of Kasumi. "Kasumi!!!...are you okay?" Ranma shouted as he gathered her up and shook her shoulders. Kasumi didn't reply him, all her motionless body managed to do was only to fall limp into his arms. "Her clothes are soaking wet...and her hands feel so cold..." Ranma noticed this as he began to examine Kasumi. He placed a hand on her forehead and it was burning "Oh Kami she has a fever..."  
  
Ranma knew hadn't any time to waste but before doing anything he wisely turned off all the stoves before gently lifting Kasumi up. He draped one arm over her waist while the other around her knees, her head gently rested on his shoulders as he lifted her up. His clothes gradually began to get soaked as her body leaned on him and her full weight began to ring out the rainwater onto his own now damp body. Quickly but gently Ranma swiftly climbed the stairs and went into the changing room. Ranma had to get Kasumi out of her wet clothes somehow and into dry ones quickly. Only one thing stopped him and that was that he would face dire consequences if anyone knew that he had changed her clothes for her. "Only one way to do it then..." he thought. So gently depositing Kasumi on a laid out towel on the floor he went into the bathroom and filled up a bucket with cold water and *Splash* out came Ranma-chan.  
  
Ranma had felt that being Ranma-chan would at least lessen the shock of telling Kasumi later that he had help change her wet clothes. So ever so gently removing her wet dress and her underwear that cling onto her body Ranma-chan managed to change Kasumi into a dry bathrobe. Quite a feat considering Ranma-chan had her eyes closed all the while doing it and Kasumi was a bit larger than her girl form. Once decent Ranma-chan lifted the still unconscious Kasumi back up into her arms and walked into Kasumi's room.  
  
Carefully she rested Kasumi on her bed and pulled her blanket over her. Kasumi was now slightly shivering and her face looked pale. "She's burning up..." Ranma-chan thought aloud to herself when she had touched Kasumi's forehead again. Ranma-chan quickly left the room to get the things that she needed to ease Kasumi's fever. She soon returned to Kasumi's room along with a hand towel soaked in a small basin of cold water, a small bottle of medicine and a glass of water all delicately balance in her hands. "Guess all the time spent waiting tables in the Cat-café paid off."  
  
Ranma-chan sat beside Kasumi's bedside and gently took the cold hand towel, rung it out a little before folding it and placed it on Kasumi's forehead. She then took 2 pills from the bottle having intending to give it to Kasumi to help lessen her fever. "Wait...she's unconscious. How am I going to give these to her?" she looked down at the pills in her hand and stared at Kasumi, her eyes concentrating on her lips. Kasumi wasn't going to just open her mouth for Ranma-chan to allow her to give her the pills now so Ranma-chan thought hard.  
  
Ranma-chan didn't feel that it was right to force Kasumi's mouth open with her hands and all the other ways she could think up of didn't work ether. "I guess there's no other way..." she whispered to herself. Ranma-chan gently placed the pills on the tip of her tongue and gradually lowered her face to Kasumi's. Ranma-chan's lips slowly touched Kasumi's and gently she pushed the pills into Kasumi's mouth. Ranma-chan a blushed deeply to go along with her racing heart then took a drink of the warm water and repeated the process. She sighed in relief when she saw Kasumi instinctively swallowing the water and the pills. Having done her job Ranma- chan tenderly slid off of Kasumi's bed and drew the curtains to hide the now setting sun outside. She then went back to re-rinse the cold compress one more time and replaced it on her head and carefully tucked the girl in before quietly leaving the room.  
  
Ranma turned back to his male form and began cleaning the kitchen. He returned the uncut and unused ingredients that were intended for dinner that night back to their rightful places. "I wonder how did Kasumi got so soaking wet" Ranma asked himself. Ranma felt slightly guilty somewhat for leaving Kasumi alone since that morning and after finding her in her current state his guilt ran even deeper. It was high enough to even override his hunger that was by now reaching its limits as well. After the kitchen was sufficiently cleaned Ranma went back upstairs to the bathroom to take Kasumi's wet clothes and place them in the laundry basket. Looking up he noticed above him the hanging bed sheets.  
  
"Hey...I remember seeing those hanging out by the garden before I left..." He finally realized what had happened as he quietly made it way back into Kasumi's room to check on her condition. She was still asleep when he changed her cold compress again. "Kasumi sure looks awfully pretty when she's sleeping..." he silently thought, Ranma slowly studied the subtly soft and intricate appearance of the eldest Tendo daughter's face. Her cheeks were a rosy red from the fever and her lips slightly off color but to Ranma who had never once dared to get this close to any female before couldn't help but stare at her thoughtfully.  
  
In a mix of feelings, guilt foremost of all, Ranma also felt a little embarrassed for in truth Kasumi would be or was the first girl he or at that time 'she' had ever kissed in his whole teenage life. Well it wasn't a kiss as in a real kiss but his lips had never touched anyone else's until today. The blush that had left his cheeks since he left her room came back again in full force. "No...for goodness sakes...Ranma, you see her as an older sister or even a mother...!" Ranma shook his head side to side hopefully to shake those rather private thoughts of Kasumi from his head. Ranma didn't notice how late the time was but the whole house was dark now but he felt comforted by the fact that Kasumi's fever had began to die down after changing her compress for the ninth time that day.  
  
Ranma had gone down to lock the main doors and made sure the house and Dojo were secured. He made his way back up to her room and resting on his shins, Ranma stood watch over the still sleeping Kasumi, her shivering had stopped and her breathing was now regular but her closed eyes still worried him. In the dark room under the moonlight that crept in on him he had wished so much to see Kasumi's grey eyes. Ranma had faithfully watched over Kasumi, changing her compress hourly and checking her temperature by feeling her head with his hand. He did that until in his own sluggishness and hunger, he fell asleep by her bed, his head resting a few inches from hers.  
  
*Ringgggggggggg* came the loud noise that shot Ranma out of his slumber. Homing in on the source of it, he reached out his hands to quiet Kasumi's alarm clock that was set and reading 5am. "How long have I been sleeping?" he asked himself as he stretched out noticing the first few rays of the morning sun coming in. He was about to stand to check on Kasumi but as soon as he did he lost control of his lower body and almost fell flat on Kasumi's shoulders. Thankfully that didn't happen as Ranma managed to use his hands quickly to stop himself just barely hitting her shoulders. "Damn...what a time to have your legs going numb on you..." Ranma cursed inwardly.  
  
Carefully pushing himself up and managing to stand on his feet he gingerly reached down to remove the compress and recheck Kasumi's temperature. Her forehead felt normal and this brought immense relief to Ranma's worried conscience. "If only she would open her eyes I would feel a lot better..." he wished to himself while closing his eyes. It was almost as if Kasumi had heard his wish and as her eyes slowly quivered opened she carefully reached out to touch the hand that was currently touching her forehead. "Kasumi...?" Ranma gasped almost silently as he felt her hand on his. "Ranma...is that you...what happened? All I remember was ... preparing dinner and then the rest is a blank..." she said softly. Kasumi's voice was a little shaking and hoarse. Kasumi tried to sit up but she fell straight down flopping onto her pillow from the pain that wrenched her head. This made Ranma jump up a little but he soon sat back down on the floor besides Kasumi's bed facing her.  
  
"Well Kasumi...I guess it all started when I came back from the Dojo and found you unconscious lying on the kitchen floor. You're clothes were soaked through and you were having a high fever so ... I had to...." Ranma stopped in mid-sentence and looked down at his hands. "And..." Kasumi asked him to continue. "I carried you up to the changing room then I had to get you out of your wet clothes ... Kasumi please! Don't get the wrong idea! I changed myself into Ranma-chan before I did that and even then I had my eyes closed all the time. I swear on my mother's name...please believe me Kasumi! I didn't have any perverted intentions or thoughts of taking advantage of you. I will understand if you want me to leave ... you're probably disgusted with me right now... I think I'd better leave ..." Ranma blurted out. He got up off the floor and started walking.  
  
Kasumi then did something that Ranma never expected ... she gently reached over to the boy who by now had his back turned to her already to leave. Ranma was expecting to get slapped or something by Kasumi so before she could he thought he'd just go. Instead of a slap he felt her soft hands tugging at his hand, he looked back. Kasumi then gently tugging the young pig-tailed back down and made him sit beside her on her bed. Ranma sat down but didn't dare to look Kasumi in the eye. "What's wrong with the boy? He's so afraid of me. If he didn't do anything wrong then why is he so jumpy?" she thought for the moment looking at him. "Ranma...Did you stay beside me all this time looking after me?" Kasumi titled Ranma's face up for her to see him clearer. Ranma didn't answer her but he didn't really need to as Kasumi could make out the redness of his eyes and the black bags under them even through the weak sunlight. "You did. Didn't you?" Kasumi asked him this time with a bit more vigor. Ranma could see it in her eyes and he replied to her by a nod of his head. The two of them just stayed in silence until a ferocious growl interrupted their calm.  
  
"Oh my I forgot to make dinner for you ... didn't you eat dinner Ranma?" Kasumi asked him as she tried to get out of her bed. "Kasumi don't move...you just get better..." Ranma pleaded as he moved over to her to maybe cushion her fall if she did. This time Kasumi managed to move around a little more with no complications and was now sitting beside Ranma. "Ranma ... you didn't answer my question ..." Ranma simply stood up and smiled at Kasumi and was about to walk out when he answered "Nothing, but I want you to stay here and rest. I'll go down and make something okay ... for our breakfast and then you can take some medicine for the last time okay." Kasumi wanted to say something but stopped when she saw Ranma lifting his finger to his lips showing her that he insisted on her resting. Not wanting to fight him she slowly turned and rested her head again back on her pillow and heard Ranma slowly clicking her door shut. "Medicine?" Kasumi noted as she looked beside her on her beside table at the small bottle of pills and the glass of water. "Then, how ..." She thought.  
  
Ranma stood in front of her room he felt better now, a lot better since the first time since he found her, he smiled a little to himself his exhaustion forgotten. In the kitchen Ranma was looking around the cupboard to see what he could make for breakfast. He managed to find some instant oatmeal and thought that it was the only thing that he could fix up in such a short time. So while waiting for the water to boil he looked around to see if he could at least add some flavor to the bland meal. The water kettle whistled to a boil and after managing to find a few pieces of sweet persevered apricots that he had chopped up. Ranma slowly mixed the hot water and oatmeal into a bowl and after adding in the chopped dried fruit as a topping he took it up to Kasumi along with a cup of milk.  
  
"Kasumi ... I'm coming in ..." Ranma whispered as he slowly opened her room door. Kasumi gently sat back up again with a smile and patted to her side of her bed asking Ranma to sit down beside her again. Sitting down beside her Kasumi's nose gently twitched taking in the rather pleasant smell rising from Ranma's tray. "Kasumi it ain't much but at least its warm and you need to eat something before taking the cold medicine ..." Ranma was gently blowing on a small spoonful of hot oatmeal and offered it to Kasumi. "I can do this by myself Ranma ..." Kasumi pleaded as she took hold of the spoon. But Ranma reluctance of letting it go gave Kasumi no choice but to accept him feeding her so she lightly opened her mouth.  
  
Smilingly Ranma gently fed Kasumi the first spoon of oatmeal which she swallowed delicately. Kasumi found the taste interesting as it wasn't too sweet but it contained a flavor that she recognized. "Dried apricots and fruit ..." she noted out loud. "Yeah ... I thought they might add a little flavor ... I hope you like it ...I ain't much of a cook like you Kasumi" "I like it Ranma and thanks for making me breakfast ..." smiled Kasumi. Ranma blushed at her words of approval of his breakfast. After a few more spoons Kasumi had something in her mind "Ranma, you said after breakfast I'll be taking my medication for the last time but I don't remember taking any medication before?" Her question stunned Ranma into stopping his blowing on her next spoon of oatmeal.  
  
After a few more moments of silence Ranma lifted the oatmeal for Kasumi but this time she didn't open her mouth. "Ranma I want you to answer me ... please." she asked again this time her voice sounded a little more serious. Placing the spoon back into the bowl his two hands held the bowl while he fidgeted with it. "Well ... Kasumi ... you did take some medication while you were sleeping ... well it was the only way I knew of making your fever go down ... I didn't want to use my hands to force your mouth open or anything ... I ..." Ranma stopped and looked away embarrassed from Kasumi trying to hide his obvious flushed cheeks.  
  
"You what Ranma?"  
  
"I while in my girl form ... sorta ... used my lips to push down the pills and I also did the same with some water to help it down ... I'm so sorry." Ranma didn't even finish his sentence when he stood up off her bed. He didn't want to see Kasumi's face right now. After saying those words he found that it would be too painful to watch Kasumi's reaction. So as he was about to take his first silent step forward he heard her call to him. "Don't leave Ranma ... sit back down." Kasumi whispered. Ranma obliged and sat back down beside her but this time with his back facing her. "Ranma ... I want to speak to your face to face, and not to your back." She chided him. Slowly he turned to face her but his eyes did dare to look into hers, and stared down to his lap.  
  
"Ranma ... you did nothing wrong. You did what you had to do to help me right? So I cannot possibly blame you for doing what you did. But I can thank you." Her words meant a lot to Ranma for it helped ease his mind, and his heart. He had already prepared himself for the many consequences that she might throw at him but this definitely wasn't one of them. Ranma was about to look up to Kasumi when his stomach once again broke the silence between them. Kasumi giggled and reached over to take the bowl he left on her table and switched roles. It was now her turn to offer Ranma a rather large spoonful of oatmeal which he gladly accepted. Ranma made short work of the remaining oatmeal and after handing Kasumi the cup of milk and solitary pill Ranma asked "Kasumi why were you soaking wet?" Kasumi stared at her hands for a while before she answered him. "I got caught in the rain on my way back from my afternoon shopping ... I was carrying a large bag of rice so I couldn't walk as fast as I normally would. After I came back I had to quickly take in the bed-sheets and rewashed them so they wouldn't stain and when I had finished it had left me little time to make dinner. I never changed out of my wet clothes so I guess it was sort of my fault for getting sick ..."  
  
"You could have asked me to go along with you to carry the bag of rice Kasumi" said Ranma. "I tried to find you ..." Kasumi silently answered him. Right there and then those words rang inside his head like an echo 'I tried to find you'. "Of course she couldn't find you ... you weren't even home for the better half of the morning and afternoon you dolt!" an inner voice shouted at him. "I'm sorry Kasumi ... It was totally my fault that you got sick" said Ranma, his voice sounded heavy with regret. Ranma's apology was something new to Kasumi when she tried to remember when Ranma had really apologize to anyone she found he never did.  
  
"Why are you apologizing to me Ranma?" Kasumi asked puzzlingly. "I should have been at home looking after you. Everyone expected me to take care of you and what did I do? I left you alone at home ... I even managed to get you sick ... for Kami's sake. I thought I would be bored staying beside you Kasumi. But I was wrong. When I'm with you all I feel is like that I am at peace. You don't bother me with anything not even asking me to help you with your chores. You don't ask much about me so we seldom talk unless if you asking me what I want to eat. I'm sorry Kasumi ... I didn't mean to abandon you all alone ..."  
  
"Ranma ...You got it all wrong ...I didn't mean it like that ..." Kasumi tried to put her hand on his.  
  
"No ... I didn't get it wrong ... Kasumi. I failed you but I won't fail you again ... I promise you Kasumi from now on, I am going to help you with all your chores, your afternoon shopping and anything else that I can help you out with ..." Ranma shouted. Looking down to his hand he saw Kasumi's on his and blushed. By Ranma's face Kasumi knew that he was serious about this. "Ranma ... that's not necessary ... I can manage by my own ... really and how can you help me with my afternoon shopping when you have class." Kasumi reminded him.  
  
"Yes I can ... I'll show you ... what time you normally go for your afternoon shopping?"  
  
"Around noon everyday." she answered.  
  
"I'll meet you in front of the house by 12.00pm. I'd help you during my lunch break." He said to her.  
  
"Bu t..."  
  
"No buts ... Kasumi ... I'm serious about this ... if you don't let me do this I'd guarantee that I would feel guilty about this till the day I die ... so please Kasumi let me do this for you ..." Ranma stared deep into Kasumi eyes as he begged her to agree.  
  
"All right ... Ranma ... I'd allow you to help me." Kasumi reluctantly replied "On one condition ... that when I say that you've help me enough you'll stop."  
  
"I agree but you cannot ask me to stop until I agree with you that I have done enough to rid me of my guilt."  
  
"Done ..." Kasumi answered. But she blinked twice as she realized that Ranma just threw back at her the same condition she had earlier used.  
  
"Ranma ... that was unfair ... how could you take advantage of a sick girl?" insisted a rather pouting Kasumi.  
  
"Kasumi I know that I twisted our agreement a little but I just don't want you to say to me after a day of helping you out that you call the whole thing off. I want to really do enough so you can really say I've done enough okay?"  
  
Kasumi listened to Ranma's albeit a little endless in its loopy logic but she smiled and nodded her head. Ranma had began to pick up the bowl, cups and basin around the room and began to walk out of the door he stopped short "Kasumi I want you to rest today I'd do the rest of your chores okay. If you don't think I can do a good job I'd carry you down myself to look at the drying laundry, the clean kitchen and maybe a little lunch how's that sound ..." he said to her smilingly. Kasumi did indeed feel a little tired after their little talk and she yawned. "Oh my ..." Ranma simply smiled back at her and Kasumi gently laid her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. "Ranma kissed me?" she thought to herself while her fingertips ran over her lips. The thought brought a smile to her face but inwardly she knew that it was wrong.  
  
There are things about Ranma that he'd never show to people ever and those were his excellent house keeping skills. True he didn't need them but after being on the road for so long he sort of picked up the habit of cleaning after himself. He would when he was little on all those long training trips his dad would drag him Ranma would wash his own clothes, dry them and neatly fold them all away. This little habit do his was done far away from his father's view of course. The old poophead would consider it unmanly. Ranma would also keep his side of the tent very neat and pristine while his father's side would always be in a mess. Ranma had actually managed to do most of last night's laundry which only consisted of a few of his clothes and Kasumi's in little time. While he was drying them out in the garden Ranma couldn't help but feel a little flushed when he hung out to dry Kasumi's intimates on the pole. "Thank The kami Happi's not here" He thought.  
  
Ranma gently pushed opened Kasumi's door with intent to ask her if she preferred anything for lunch but seeing her still sound asleep he decided that he'd skip lunch so that he could take in some practice. "Ranma ... Ranma ... Ranma ... what were you thinking of when you saw Kasumi just now sleeping soundly?" asked a voice inside of his head.  
  
"Nothing I just thought she looked cute..."  
  
"Ha...you admit it then...Kasumi's cute, even ... pretty right!"  
  
"Yeah she's pretty, and if anyone says otherwise I'd break every bone he has!" he shouted at the voice.  
  
"Rather protective of Kasumi now after that little fever thing eh?" smirked the voice.  
  
"What's it to ya, Bub?" Ranma asked, his voice laden with antagonism.  
  
"Nothing ... you just admitted to yourself that Kasumi's cute and pretty. You'd never given a compliment like that to any girl before. Be it Akane, Shampoo Ukyou or Kodachi. But you said without any hesitation that Kasumi's pretty. Here's a piece of advice ... listen to what your gut has to say once in a while ... will ya. Bye"  
  
Ranma's eyes shot open as he had managed to fall asleep while he was meditating after his practice. Ranma still felt sleepy from last's night vigil over Kasumi but he scolded himself for falling asleep anyway. Choosing to ignore the voice Ranma slowly walked back into the house and prepared himself a nice bath before checking back on Kasumi to see how she was doing. "Did I really find Kasumi pretty?" Ranma whispered to himself as he laid nose deep inside the furo. The voice had asked him to listen to his gut once in a while and right now his gut was telling him to check on Kasumi.  
  
Ranma slid the door as quietly as he could and silently crept into Kasumi's room. "She's still asleep ... but to be safe ..." Ranma gently placed his hands on Kasumi's cheeks to check for any signs of the fever. She felt normal to the touch and with that Ranma pulled her blanket up a little bit to her shoulders and left. Ranma didn't turn around to see Kasumi one last time but luckily he didn't for if he had, he would have seen the little smile that formed on Kasumi's lips when he had started to walk away from her bedside.  
  
Kasumi still felt weak and a little tired from her ordeal but she couldn't resist to just stay in bed and let someone else do the things for her and not to mention indulge herself to some tender loving care. Kasumi felt she was always the one to give the care, the loving and the tenderness to those who need it but did anyone return the favor? Well sadly until now, no one even came close. True, Ranma felt guilty about her getting sick and thus resulted in his eagerness to help Kasumi but she didn't want to acknowledge that fact. All she knew was that someone was worried for her and was constantly checking up on her. And deep inside her heart it felt good but it also felt a bad ... bad being that she knew that it would soon all disappear with her family's return from their holidays or forced training. She would be just left with Ranma helping her do her chores. "I'd just think back on this as a sweet cherished memory ..." Kasumi was trying hard not to enjoy herself to much but she couldn't ignore the warm fuzzy feeling her felt all of a sudden.  
  
"How am I going to do this?" thought Ranma. There he stood in front of the fridge looking at what was available for him. He of course had to prepare dinner since Kasumi was resting in her room. "What can I make that won't make my cooking look as bad as Akane's and wouldn't send Kasumi back into a state of unconsciousness or worse." He sighed scratching the back of his head. Ranma to his credit could cook a little but that was only for him and his father in the woods and when hungry enough they would eat anything no matter the taste. This though was a totally different situation as he was cooking for Kasumi, the perfect cook and probably the most delicate of pallet of all Soun's daughters. He knew that he had to go through with it so breathing in a long breath of air he began to make dinner. Ranma figured that if he kept it simple then it wouldn't be that hard and he would have half a chance of making it at least edible. By the time Ranma had finished with 'his' dinner he step back a bit and gave a loud groan "I hope it taste as good as it looks."  
  
Looking out at the garden while cleaning the kitchen mess, Ranma noticed that it was already early late evening and the sun was soon going to set. Stepping out into the soft breeze with an empty basket in hand Ranma carried on finishing the laundry ...taking in the now dried clothes. Returning the basket up to the laundry room Ranma stopped in front of Kasumi's room and gathered himself for a bit. *Knock ... Knock* "Kasumi are you awake? Dinners ready ..." he called to her from behind her door. "Come in ..." came the girl's reply. "Did I wake you ...?" he asked as he slowly inched into her room. Kasumi's slow nod sideways and her smile allowed him to exhale the breath he didn't dare let out. "Dinners ready ... Kasu ... whoa ...let me help you ..." Ranma didn't expect Kasumi to just get out of bed and start walking but there she was walking towards him albeit a little gingerly and slowly. "I'm okay Ranma ... I've been in bed long enough ... I need to stretch my legs anyway ..." Kasumi thought at that time that those were the right words to say to Ranma to ease his worries. At least that's what she had hoped, her feet were obeying her and slowly she walked by her own but as soon as she had walked to Ranma her feet gave out and she started to fall sideways ...  
  
A pair of strong arms soon caught hold of her falling body, one over her waist and the other over her back. She found herself staring up again at his deep blue-gray eyes ... they were beginning to haunt her memories. The eyes of Ranma were drawing her in slowly and clearly until all she could see in them her own reflection looking back. "Kasumi ... you okay? I think I better help you down ..." Kasumi didn't even have a chance to reject Ranma's offer as she found herself resting on his arms. Ranma carried her slowly down the stairs so carefully even to avoid all the objects that her head might bump into. "Ranma ... if I'm heavy or you're tired you can put me down I can walk by myself ..." Kasumi said hesitantly. Ranma stopped halfway going down the stairs and looked down at her. His face was expressionless at first but he soon produced a smile that Kasumi swore she had never seen the boy smile before. It was one of Ranma's rare grins and in this case it was his mischievous one. Even before Kasumi could register it Ranma took one giant leap and jumped over the side of the stairs. He produced such a perfect landing that even Kasumi was surprised that she didn't feel them land. "Kasumi I could carry you all the way to China if you wanted me to ... hehe" Kasumi giggled when she heard Ranma say that but later hid her face in his silk shirt as she started to blush.  
  
Ranma was glad that Kasumi wasn't looking up at that time as he was himself blushing red in the cheeks as he understood what he had just said to her. Settling Kasumi down on her usual cushion they prepared to have dinner. Kasumi was rather surprised at what Ranma had made for dinner. It was simple but it was a dinner that someone had made especially for her and again that was a first for her. This would be the first time she had a dinner that she didn't make for herself. "We better eat before it gets cold eh...?" said Ranma as he handed her a bowl of rice which she accepted with a faint smile. "Kasumi ... it may not taste that good but if you find it hard to eat, I'll go out and buy something for you okay ..." His comment made Kasumi stare straight at the boy ...  
  
"Have some faith in yourself Ranma..." Kasumi took a bite of the rice and well it was a little softer then usual but edible. She took a little of the steam fish and tasted it. "Fish steamed with ginger ..." Kasumi thought even though the taste of the ginger was a little weak but she didn't mind. Then another bite of rice then the last dish...grated radish. At least she knew that was what he wanted it to be. Ranma being a little behind on time had used Chestnut-fist speed to grate the radish but instead he managed to instead of grating it he had almost puréed the radish. Kasumi noted each mistake that she herself knew how to avoid but since it was Ranma she forgave him easily. Kasumi smiled a little and was about to say something when she stopped when she looked at him. Ranma was just sitting there he hadn't touched his food but just staring at Kasumi rather anxiously almost like waiting for an answer from her.  
  
"Ranma...it's a fine dinner but I wouldn't like eating it alone..." Ranma smiled when he heard Kasumi saying those words and started to eat together with Kasumi. After they had finished Kasumi started to get up to bring the empty dishes to the kitchen but she was stopped by Ranma's rather strong cough. "Kasumi ... I started dinner so I'd be the one to finish it" he smiled as he picked up the dinner plates and walked into the kitchen. He soon reappeared again with a cup of tea "I'll show you what I'd done around the place since morning after I'm done with the dishes ..." he smiled at her as he placed the cup on the table. Kasumi took the cup and lightly blew on the hot tea and took a gentle sip hoping that Ranma could end the day on a high note. She also hoped that Ranma was a delicate washer of her plates unlike Akane. After a long pause and one finished cup of tea Ranma came out "All done...so time to show you around ..." Ranma held his hand out to help Kasumi up and with a light but firm grasp he tenderly pulled her up and somehow they both ended up walking together with Ranma taking the lead. Kasumi's hand was absentmindedly nicely tucked into Ranma's as he led them first to the kitchen. The kitchen was in near perfect order as far as Kasumi felt she couldn't have done a better job Ranma noted her smile and moved on.  
  
Walking outside now to garden with the cool evening breeze rusting by Kasumi's hair she noticed that the leaves that she had wanted to rake were done and neatly deposited in a far corner inside disposable garbage bags. The two walked around the house silently and Kasumi began to wonder how did Ranma ever managed to do all the chores in one day. She didn't mind though as she thought Ranma had done an excellent job so far. "One final thing to see before I escort you back to your room." Ranma said looking at her, he now felt rather good with himself as Kasumi hadn't say anything negative about his handiwork. Walking inside to the changing room Ranma showed her the laundry. Inside hung nicely on hangers were her dress and beside it her bed sheets from the day before.  
  
Kasumi walked to her dress and was surprised to see it nicely washed and dried all it needed was a nice iron and it was perfect. Kasumi took the fabric of her dress into her hand and delicately smelled it. It smelled of her favorite detergent not to strong but just right. Then Kasumi caught something out of the corner of her eye, hung on another hanger behind her dress was her underwear. "Ranma ... you washed everything?" she asked him rather embarrassingly. "Yeah Kasumi I had to wash all your wet clothes and mine also ..." Ranma replied her not really noticing what was wrong with it.  
  
Back in Kasumi's room with Kasumi snuggly resting on her bed the two remained silent. "Ranma ... what are you doing?" Her words came as she saw Ranma taking her clock and pressed the off button for the alarm. "You shall be resting tomorrow ... it's going to be your last day of rest before the others come back ... anyway good night Kasumi ..." Ranma's voice was trailing as he had already placed the clock back and was walking halfway out of her room when...  
  
"Ranma ..." she called him  
  
"Yeah ... Kasumi?"  
  
"If you don't mind could you please keep me company for a while? I've already slept the whole day and I don't really feel tired right now but if you feel sleepy I won't ask you ..."  
  
"Sure ... I don't mind staying with you Kasumi" smiled Ranma. He slowly walked back over to her bed and sat down on the floor leaning on her bed as he rested his head on her mattress. Looking at him Kasumi began to feel something stirring inside of her. Kasumi noticed for the first time how Ranma had grown since he first came into her family's life that faithful day almost a year and a half ago. She noticed how he grew taller, how his face had somewhat become older and how his blue eyes were growing more and more deeper.  
  
"Ranma ... did you ever regret coming here?" Kasumi asked breaking the easy silence in her room.  
  
"What made you ask that question Kasumi?" he replied looking at up her.  
  
"Well ... from the first day you came here you've been basically faced with every kind of problem that I could think of. You are always fighting with other people you've been tricked by not only Shampoo, but also Nabiki. Also not to say the least you've gotten more bruises from Akane than from any of your other fights. I can't help but think sometimes Ranma maybe you would be happier if you'd never met us?"  
  
Ranma blinked at Kasumi for a while, he had never heard once of Kasumi asking him how he felt about his life so far let the least anyone else asking him such a complex question before. "I'm sorry Ranma ... If you don't want to talk about it ..." Kasumi stopped her eyes locked onto her hands.  
  
"I have no regrets ... Kasumi. I never once regretted coming here I never have. I guess I was sort of happy that I could have a roof over my head for a while. But after hearing the reason why Pops brought me here I really haven't thought of leaving. What kept me here was probably me wanting to have someplace to call a home at least that out weighed the problems of having a fiancée. Not having to sleep in a tent in the middle of nowhere sort of felt nice anyway ... Actually Kasumi I always wondered why you never kicked me and Pops out. We've somehow or another have managed to destroy most of your stuff, broke down almost all the walls of the dojo and brought more mayhem into this place then it ever had ... why have you never said a single word"  
  
Kasumi was rather taken back at Ranma's blunt confession and his question to her after that. She wasn't really prepared for this but she thought being honest was the best policy. "How could I kick you and Uncle Genma out? You're not only my sister's fiancé you're my father's best friend so that makes you a family guest. You've always managed to repay the damages you've done by allowing Nabiki to get away with those pictures she sells at school."  
  
Ranma merely smiled "I guess so ... but I'm glad I came ... I would never have met you if I didn't ..."  
  
Kasumi's cheeks went a scarlet hue when she heard Ranma's remark. "I'm glad you came here too ...life was just getting too dull for me ... you brought some excitement into my life ... Ranma." Kasumi didn't know why she said that but she did, she just hoped Ranma didn't take it the wrong way. Looking down at him she needn't worry about his reaction as Ranma now with his eyes closed laid asleep sitting by her bed. She took her robe from her bedside and gently draped it over the boy and switched off the lights but not before setting her alarm.  
  
So that night, in the dark with Ranma gently sound asleep next to her, Kasumi had in just a few minutes of conversation, learnt more about Ranma in the last few minutes then in the last one and a half years. She always thought that he was young, well he'll only turned 18 a while ago, and his still considered to be a boy but he had just now sounded to Kasumi like a man in his late 30's. "Funny how his life has forced him to grow up so fast ..." she sighed before closing her eyes to drift into her own slumber.  
  
The End  
  
I hoped you like it. Please wait for next installment. H.A  
  
P.S This is an updated version as dogbertcarroll pointed out my error...thanks. 


	3. Chapter 2

Standard Disclaimer applies here also....  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I've read all the reviews that you all graciously given me and after giving it some thought I would like to set aside a small section to explain to you all the readers why I included the various parts I did during the whole fic. It will be included during the end of the 3rd chapter in an epilogue yes...there will be a 3rd and final chapter soon after this one...  
  
But right now I am looking for pre-readers...if any of you R+K fans out there who liked my previous work and are willing to spend some time to pre-read for me I am more then willing to send you my draft of that story. Helps me to reduce my own errors and also makes the story more streamlined. Just tell me if your interested in the review section or email me.  
  
Enuf ranting from me...here's the story =) Enjoy.  
  
Caring For Kasumi.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
By Himura Alucard  
  
*Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing*  
  
"Huh ...What the ...Where am I?" exclaimed Ranma as he abruptly awoke from his slumber. Focusing to his left and right he noticed that he wasn't in his room. "That's right I must have fallen asleep in ... Kasumi's room ..." He gulped at that fact. The room was only half lit as Kasumi had drawn half of the curtains of her window leaving where Ranma had slept dark.  
  
Ranma stood up and stretched himself out while looking at Kasumi's bed which had been made up. With a click Ranma switched off the still ringing alarm and noticed the time "8am ...I guess Kasumi set it for me ..." so as he turned and walked out of the room. Kasumi had in fact woken up at her usual time of 5am and had already ironed last night's laundry and finished making Ranma's breakfast. She was currently just enjoying a cup of nice warm tea by herself in the kitchen while staring blankly out of the window. Very few things could affect Kasumi's life, yet she came to learn that Ranma was one of the rare few. It wasn't like anything she could put her hands on. It just has been like this for as long as she could remember but she didn't understand why Ranma had that effect on her though.  
  
She remembered the time when Ranma had inadvertently put on the amorous plaster of Happosai and started to say all those sweet things to her. Kasumi had actually thought for that moment that he was serious and her heart was beating as loud as a herd of raging horses. No one had ever said anything remotely like that to her before and secretly deep inside Kasumi's heart she had cherished that memory very close to her heart. Even afterwards when she was told that Ranma had said those things to her due to the effects of the plaster she still kept dear to that memory.  
  
Unknown to everyone it took Kasumi a week to get herself to even look at Ranma and not turn red in her cheeks. Kasumi quietly beamed as she sipped a little tea, she was enjoying the few memories that she had of Ranma and herself so far. A lot of people ignore the fact that Kasumi is still a young woman. Sure sometimes everyone thinks she had nothing else in her life other then her duties to her home but she is still a woman ... a single and unattached young woman. And it didn't help her that until now the only other men other then her father and Genma that she had constant contact with was a young enigmatic youth named Ranma.  
  
Kasumi was conscious of that her thoughts of the boy had drastically changed since his first arrival. From the initial thoughts of him being a gender changing rude young boy to now a young youth who tried his best to make everything right and tried to make everyone happy no matter how they treated him in return. Thinking back on it Ranma may have 3 fiancées fighting for but how did they see him?  
  
Well Ukyou and Shampoo treat Ranma more like something to fight over, to see who can win him. While Akane just blatantly ignores his existence, except for the times when she calls him a pervert for something he had done or said. For that short time also when Nabiki was engaged to him all she did was try to sell him or sell his companionship by an hourly rate. "I wonder how things would have gone if I didn't push him away that time long ago." Sighed Kasumi as she took another sip of her tea. As fate would have it, right at that particular moment when Kasumi was at her emotional crossroads Ranma walked in.  
  
"Kasumi ... you shouldn't be out of bed walking around! You still need to rest ... I really don't want to see you faint or get your fever back ..." Ranma had reminded Kasumi of that fact but all she did was to simply smile at him. That even after Ranma had tried his best to sound annoyed at Kasumi no less. Ranma was left with nothing but to sit down in front of her at the kitchen counter and stare hard at her trying to look angry. But all Ranma ended up doing in front of Kasumi was instead of looking angry he looked like he was more or less pouting.  
  
Kasumi looked at the boy and started to giggle at him, Ranma could be a little dense when it comes to reading emotions so he took it the wrong way and started to boil. "Kasumi I'm serious! I do not think you should be out of bed! I don't want the rest to return and see you sick in bed or something. I don't want them to think that I didn't take care of you during those days... I have enough problems as it is. I don't want your father and Akane to be chasing me around the house thinking that I didn't do my duties towards you." He said to her, his eyes flaring up for a moment before it died down. His voice was stern but he tried not to raise his voice too much to her.  
  
Kasumi again just stared at him silently, her misty gray eyes never once drifting off from his ocean blue eyes. Well what ever had angered Ranma before after seeing her intense but soft eyes staring into his any anger he held had suddenly disappeared and was replaced by his utter embarrassment. "Why is Kasumi looking at me like that?" he thought to himself. Ranma broke her stare as he decided to look down at his fidgeting feet trying to figure out the situation and how did it ended up like the way it did.  
  
"Ranma ... I'm feeling much better now. You should know better than anyone that I would not let my father or Akane even come close to hurting you. If they did that I would gently refuse to cook anything for them until they apologized to you. If you hadn't stayed by my side when I was sick with fever, things might have gotten worst. Am I right?" Ranma just nodded his head he couldn't refute what Kasumi had said.  
  
"Come ... on Kasumi ... it's not like it wasn't my fault that you got sick in the first place. So even if Soun and Akane want to get back at me for that I'd let them..." said Ranma while hiding his hands that were unconsciously squirming under the table. Ranma really couldn't understand it because deep inside his heart he really felt a strong sense to protect Kasumi no matter what now. Those feelings were just faint in the beginning but had intensified after the recent string of events. "Ranma...I'll go get your breakfast warm up...and I think Nabiki would be the first to return so I better prepare a little lunch for her afterwards while you're eating your breakfast."  
  
Ranma sat there mutely all the while meticulously watching Kasumi taking his breakfast out from the cupboard and gentle warming it up for him. "Now that is a sight for tired eyes...a beautiful sweet girl graciously moving around in the kitchen preparing your breakfast. Wouldn't you want to wake up to that everyday?" asked a voice in Ranma's head. "Yeah...it sure would be nice to have her cooking breakfast everyday..." Ranma answered aloud.  
  
"Did you say something Ranma?" Kasumi asked not turning from the stove. "Huh??? Nothing Kasumi..." Ranma replied her. Glad that she hadn't turn around to notice him blushing. Ranma was hearing 'that' voice more and more again inside his head. The voice was his own but it was talking to him about things that he would never dare think or say out...those things now usually involved Kasumi.  
  
"Ranma's eating breakfast a littler slower then usual this morning I wonder if he's feeling alright?" Kasumi thought as she looked at the boy who was slowly enjoying his meal. "Ranma are you alright?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah...I'm fine Kasumi why do you ask?" Kasumi just nodded her head sideways and let the boy continue on with his breakfast. After Ranma had finished Kasumi was happily washing his plates while Ranma continued his observation of her.  
  
"Kasumi...what time are you going to the market?" he asked.  
  
Kasumi turned around and looked at Ranma for a few seconds.  
  
"I'd like to go after I've finished hanging out the laundry Ranma. Anything the matter?"  
  
Ranma grinned as he stood up and walked to her.  
  
"Have you forgotten my promise to you?"  
  
Kasumi tried to look like she was hearing about the promise thing for the first time. But Ranma raised his brow and looked at her.  
  
"Ranma about the promise you made...I think it's sweet but really totally unnecessary. I'm sure you have better things with your time than to spend it with me." Kasumi hoped that Ranma would understand that she had his best interest in mind when she said that. Kasumi felt that Ranma needn't worry about her anymore as she had since a long time ago accepted the fact that her life was just an endless repetition of chores and more chores that she would have to handle by herself.  
  
Ranma looked at her again but this time his eyes were gentler. "Kasumi...I have nothing better to do...I don't like hanging out...I don't even like to go out much even. The truth is Kasumi I didn't hang around much while we were alone because..." Ranma stopped for a while. He knew that he had to make the words come out right.  
  
"Kasumi the truth is I am scared to be around you okay...I feel too calm and comfortable when I'm around you...if I was left with Akane or Nabiki I wouldn't care much. But left alone with you I might accidentally do something or cause something to happen to you...my life isn't exactly normal Kasumi. I have fiancées who think other girls who are close to me are to be removed. If I was left with Akane they would all rush down here and just fight among themselves but I think they left us alone only because it was you. But when I'm with you all I feel is that the need to protect you. And I failed miserably at that even...so please Kasumi let me do something right for once and let me help you..."  
  
Kasumi stood there in front of him her face emotionless she wasn't in shock or anything she just didn't know what to do next. Ranma had just confessed to her of his reasons for leaving her alone and she felt relief at hearing it but also kept traces of concern. "Alright Ranma...I'd keep you to your promise..." said Kasumi finally after giving it some thought. Ranma just smiled "So let's start off with me helping you out with the laundry." grinned Ranma.  
  
Kasumi had to admit that having Ranma help her out was something enjoyable not only to feel but to see. You see Kasumi used to have to use a hook pole to lift up the laundry pole up to its highest perch but with Ranma all he needed to do was just take the laundry pole and leap upwards to the perch and gently laid it on its stand. Kasumi couldn't help but feel that maybe it wouldn't be so bad having Ranma help her after all. The chore of doing the laundry had finished faster then expected so Kasumi decided to go to the market a little earlier then usual that morning.  
  
Ranma and Kasumi gently walked down the road heading to the market. Kasumi had changed into something a little more appropriate for outside wear. She wore a nice long green off white sundress with her usual apron draped over the front. She hoped that Ranma hadn't notice but she wore a dash of her favorite perfume. It was after all the first time that any young man would be accompanying her on this mundane chore. Ranma of course carried with him her basket and was gently hummed a tune as they walked on.  
  
"That's a nice tune Ranma..." Kasumi said noticing the tune.  
  
"Oh...it was something that my mother used to sing to me every night before I would go to bed when I was a small kid. But all I could remember now is the tune but I can't seem to remember the words..."  
  
"Do you miss your mother...Ranma?" asked a now forlorn looking Kasumi.  
  
"Sometimes...some days when it really gets bad for me I just wish that I had someone to go to and just pour my heart out..." Ranma sighed a little as he kicked a small peddle from his path.  
  
Kasumi then had wanted to say something but stopped as she realized what she was about to say. And what Kasumi had wanted to say to him was that she could be that someone that he could talk to when he needed to talk and pour out his emotions. But she kept that thought deep inside of her afraid of how he might react.  
  
The shop owners whom Kasumi regularly visited were rather surprised to see a young man accompanying Kasumi this time around as she shopped around. Some of them especially the male shop owners were staring at Ranma almost like challenging his mere presence beside her. Ranma sensed that and not wanting to bow down he stared back at them as if stating his right to be by Kasumi's side.  
  
While the older shop owners were more gentle towards him and kept on saying to Kasumi out of Ranma's hearing how they looked good together as a couple. Kasumi blushed but she stated that he was Akane's fiancé and he was just here to help her carry her groceries. After having finished her usual round of shopping Kasumi found that she had some spare time. Kasumi would always spend those few extra minutes she had looking around the few small shops that sold the knick-knacks that she loved to collect.  
  
For the past few days now Kasumi had always kept her eyes locked on one particular knick-knack. It was a necklace with a simple hearted shape pendant. She liked it a lot because it was almost an exact replica of the one her mother used to wear when she was alive and still wore around her neck till this day. Ranma noticed this standing beside her and looked at the thing that had Kasumi so enticed and saw her staring at the pendant. He saw how Kasumi's eyes sparkled when she looked at the pendant and how she let a small sigh escape her lips as she continued to walk on. But this time she wouldn't walk off very far...  
  
"Kasumi....wait up...I thought you liked the pendant back there?" asked Ranma as he lightly pulled back on Kasumi's hand.  
  
"It's nothing Ranma...it's something nice that's all..." she answered hesitantly. Kasumi didn't want Ranma to know her real reasons fearing that he may inadvertently miss his own mother because of her.  
  
Contrary to people's belief Ranma could sometimes read a girl's mind perfectly and this was one of those times. He quickly took Kasumi's hand and led her back to the shop where the pendant was being displayed. Kasumi had tried her best to persuade Ranma otherwise but she soon found herself looking around in the shop trying not to think of the obvious. A little old man came up to them and asked if he could be of service.  
  
"I'd like to see that silver pendant by the window...please" said Ranma.  
  
Kasumi who was standing on the next aisle of the shop overheard what Ranma had said... "He even said please..." she thought. Which was a rarity for Ranma but he was on his top gentlemanly behavior mode for the next few minutes. As the shopkeeper brought the pendant out for him Ranma took it into his hands and studied it. It was indeed a beautiful piece of jewelry it wasn't extravagant or anything. But he knew that it suited her.  
  
"I'd take it...sir" As Ranma handed it back to the shopkeeper. Kasumi felt her heart going into a spin as she saw Ranma taking out from his shirt a small black pouch that contained a few bank notes that he counted and handed over to the old shop keeper that thanked him. Kasumi didn't say anything on their way back she didn't want to believe what she saw Ranma do. "Maybe he bought it for Akane..." Kasumi kept on thinking that to stay off the idea that Ranma might have bought the pendant for her. They finally arrived home and after thanking Ranma for carrying her groceries Kasumi rushed off into the kitchen.  
  
Inside the kitchen Kasumi was relieved that Ranma had not followed her in as she needed time to calm her frantic heart. "Kasumi...don't even think about it. He bought it for Akane..." she kept whispering to herself. And it worked for the moment as she managed to get lunch prepared without much hassle. After lunch was prepared Kasumi thought that a nice walk by the garden might do some good to calm her jittery nerves.  
  
"Oh my...the flowers need a little water..." gasped Kasumi as she noticed how her delicate flowers were beginning to wilt under the hot afternoon sun. As Kasumi went off and soon returned with the small garden hose she started to water the flowers. She would have finished watering the flowers too if a certain voice didn't startled her. "Kasumi...after you've finished watering the garden I would like to talk you for a bit I'd be here waiting for you..." Ranma's voice echoed as he walked out of the Dojo and sat down by the walkway.  
  
Kasumi didn't respond she didn't know how to, her heart had once again started to race and her mind became awash again with endless thoughts. The hose that was once held in her hands suddenly came loose and slowly landed to the ground. It began to spray wildly about like a snake. As the water wildly sprayed around the wild spray of water managed to wet half her dress and also some part of her face. The cold spray of the water woke Kasumi out of her daze and as she hurryingly bent down to try and catch the run away hose but as she caught hold of it, it just suddenly went limp.  
  
So now half soaked and half dazed Kasumi looked behind her and saw Ranma's figure slowly approaching behind her. He smiled at her and took the towel around his neck and oblivious to what was right or wrong he gently dabbed her wet dripping face. As they stood there in the middle of the garden...Kasumi half wet and was being gently toweled dry by Ranma. "Err...Ranma...I can do this by myself..." stammered Kasumi as she took the towel from his hands. "Oh...ya...sorry. Why don't we sit by the walkway I have something to give you"  
  
Kasumi dreaded each step she took with him as he led her to the walkway landing and sat down. Kasumi didn't dare to even look at Ranma as she kept on staring at her dirtied slippers. "Here Kasumi...I got this for you...I kept on noticing how your eyes kept looking at it..." Ranma then took out a small paper package from his pocket and opened it to reveal the pendant.  
  
"Please Kami....help me...I'm going to break down..." Kasumi whispered to herself. She was shaking...her hands were trembling and her lips were dry. Kasumi thought that she might faint at any moment. She slowly raised her hands and accepted the gift that Ranma held out to her. She looked at it and knew that Ranma would like to see her put it on. As Kasumi undid the pendant's catch and shakily brought it around her neck to fasten it. Kasumi would normally have the pendant fasten in no time but in her current state of mind she couldn't even find her other hand that held the other side of the pendant.  
  
And then she felt it. A sensation Kasumi never felt before in her whole life...someone else's touch on her skin. She didn't even want to open her eyes when she had closed them on feeling his touch. She knew who it was and that fact alone made it harder for her to open her eyes. Ranma had seen how Kasumi was struggling to get the necklace on so he had gotten up and taking the necklace from Kasumi's hand he helped her put it on. The sensation soon disappeared as Kasumi felt his touch slip away from her neck. After opening her eyes she came straight face to face with Ranma who was staring at her.  
  
"It looks nice on you Kasumi...really" Ranma commented.  
  
Kasumi looked down at the silver heart that now hung around her neck and at that moment she lost all control of herself. Her eyes began to uncontrollably tear up, her heart just couldn't take it anymore the swell of emotions that she was feeling all day finally overcame the young woman which then caused her to do something very un-Kasumi like. Kasumi swiftly rose up to her knees from her sitting position and slowly flung herself into Ranma's chest. "Ranma...why...you shouldn't have you know that...this is plain torture...for me!" she cried into his chest.  
  
Ranma was so stunned silly as he thought Kasumi would like the pendant but seeing her breakdown like that was too much even for him. "Kasumi don't cry if you don't like the pendant...I'd just take it back and get you something else...please Kasumi don't cry..." he stuttered. Ranma was trying his utter best to comfort her and for the next few moments Kasumi was silent but what happened next totally blew his mind to kingdom come.  
  
Kasumi in a blur of slow motioned movements had moved her face up level to level with Ranma's face and kissed him right on the lips. Ranma didn't even catch it all for all he knew now was that Kasumi had gotten up and was now kissing him. He felt inside himself that he didn't felt like breaking it but he knew that if he didn't it would look bad for them. So he gently removed his lips from hers and looked at her teary face. Gently with his thumbs he rubbed away the tears from under her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry...Ranma I didn't mean to..." Kasumi uttered looking utterly guilty.  
  
"Shhhhh...it's alright...just let it all out. I'd understand..."  
  
After some time with Ranma's tender words and gentle caress on her back Kasumi's tears began to quiet down while she laid her head on his shoulders. Kasumi wished that she could stay like this until the days end but her impending family's return and Ranma being Akane's fiancé forced her to remove herself slowly from his side. Ranma looked up to Kasumi who was about to walk back into the house "Kasumi...are you feeling better?" Looking back down at him she mustered her best smile and showed it to him.  
  
Ranma stood up as well he saw through Kasumi's rather forced smile and he automatically went to her side and taking her hand in his he gently walked her back into the house. All the while unknowing to the two of them that a certain member of the Tendo family had just returned earlier then planned.  
  
Akane had returned back to the Dojo on the first morning train and was rather surprised to find the whole house so quiet. After putting her bags into her room she had knocked on Kasumi's door but found it empty. "Wonder if Kasumi's in the kitchen making lunch?" she said aloud while walking down the stairs.  
  
Back in the kitchen Ranma had just managed to sit Kasumi down on and was making her a warm cup of tea to calm her nerves down a bit. "Here Kasumi..." Ranma gently handed her the cup which Kasumi slowly took into her hand. Kasumi felt Ranma's warm rough hands brushing past hers as he withdrew them. "These same rough hands felt so smooth a while ago when Ranma wiped away my tears..." as Kasumi thought back to that memory still fresh in her mind.  
  
Ranma took a seat beside Kasumi and carefully studied her ready to react if needed. She sipped the tea and placed the cup down by the table causing Ranma to worry once more. He stood up from his stool and leaned forward "Is there something wrong with the tea?" he asked. Kasumi could feel his presence near her once more as he innocently took the cup to taste the tea fearing that he might have made it too bitter for her.  
  
Kasumi couldn't help it she wanted to feel Ranma's warm presence for one last time and she slowly leaned over onto his chest and hugged him. "Kasumi..." he stuttered "Just let me be like this for a while..." Kasumi whispered up to him. Ranma by now had given up even trying to digest why Kasumi was doing all this. But he hoped that when the rest of her family had returned she would return back to her normal cheery self. Just about then the kitchen door parted.  
  
"Kasumi...are you her....?" greeted Akane as she pushed the door open.  
  
"SAOTOME RANMA WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER!!!" Akane's voice trembled across the kitchen and echoed out throughout the house as she stared on the scene playing right before her eyes.  
  
"Oh shit..." Ranma cursed as he stepped back. "Oh Kami..." he cursed again as he had to rush forward to catch Kasumi's falling figure. Kasumi had neglected to adjust to his sudden back step and was in danger of now falling over.  
  
"RANMA!!! Get your no good filthy hands off my sister!!" she shouted once again this time with more added venom.  
  
"Akane...I can explain...it's not what you think really...please let me explain..." By now Ranma had started to backtrack and was stuttering excuses and apologies but he could still see the now very red aura emitting Akane stomping her way towards him.  
  
"What have you done to my sister you pervert!?" Akane demanded after glancing to her oldest sister and her slightly puffy eyes.  
  
"Nothing...Akane I swear I did nothing...." Ranma had now backtracked until his back was being pinned by the stove and he knew he was now trapped and no possible way out from being confronted by an irate Akane.  
  
Akane's clenched fist rose up into the air and like a cocked gun aimed ready she fired. But instead of hitting her target she felt her hands being blocked. Ranma had for once and for the first time had blocked Akane's punch and while in her state of confusion he leapt out of the kitchen window and disappeared into thin air.  
  
"I'd get him when he comes back he always does...that baka pervert" she cursed while walking back to her older sister's side.  
  
"Kasumi are you alright...?" Akane tired to look at her sister's face but Kasumi wouldn't lift it up to her. Without a word she just got up and walked out of the kitchen in silence. She left behind her in the kitchen a very confused looking Akane.  
  
Kasumi was walking up to her room and having heard all the things that just went on in the kitchen she felt something she never felt before...anger. She was angry at a lot of things now one she was angry with herself for not even saying anything to defend Ranma it wouldn't have mattered an angry Akane wouldn't have listened anyhow and secondly she was angry at her sister Akane for throwing all those accusations at Ranma without even listening to his explanation.  
  
Sure Akane did that a lot but this time it had really pained Kasumi to see Ranma being accused for the Nth time and not been given a chance to speak out in his own defense. By now Ranma was probably running all the way to China and it was her fault, now Kasumi was the one feeling guilty. As Kasumi entered her room she noticed something different about it...it felt cold and empty. Kasumi sighed at this thought and having sat down on her bed for a moment before she leaned down and rested her head on the mattress instead of her pillow.  
  
Her hands then began to absentmindedly play at the wooden frame of her bed where Ranma had slept just the night before. Kasumi felt as if her world had collapsed on her once again. She was feeling the same emotions she had when she came to know of her mother's death. Kasumi's fingers went to her neck and brought up to her eyes the silver heart that so reminded her of her mother but now it reminded her more of a certain boy who had his hair tied up in a pigtail and who always tried to make everyone around him happy even if by doing so made him so miserable.  
  
Kasumi just decided to close her eyes, she felt so weak and tired from it all. Below her room in the kitchen Akane had sat herself down on the stool vacated by Kasumi and tried to think of what had just happened. All she knew was that after two days she came back to find Ranma having his hands all over Kasumi and then when she tried to whack the boy he blocked her punch. Then Kasumi left her without even saying a word...all these added up in Akane's mind that Ranma had done something perverted to her older sister.  
  
It was almost evening time when the rest of the household returned and were now gathered at the dinning room expecting to have dinner served to them. When they saw what they were supposed to have for dinner each one for their faces sweat dropped. Dinner was made up black charred remains of something, a bubbling bowl of yellowish brown liquid and a mound of green goo that wobbled along with the breeze. Everyone knew whose cooking it was but they didn't want to incur Akane's wrath so soon from returning. "Well everyone welcome home so let's eat shall we?" smiled Akane.  
  
"Akane...where is Kasumi?" asked her father rather tentatively.  
  
"I think she's sick or something she stayed in her room all afternoon and you know what when I came back this afternoon I saw Ranma doing something perverted to her and when I tried to punch him he had the guts to block my punch. He then ran off somewhere but I'd get him when he comes back." Akane's veins were popping up in her head just thinking about the boy.  
  
And just after she finished saying that everyone left the dinning table in a rush leaving her all alone with her Special stir fried radish, Special herbed miso soup and Special peppered casserole. Everyone was rushing up the stairs the most audible person was Soun who had his patented Soun waterworks running full flow. "Kasumi...my baby girl is dying..." he wailed. The only person who made any sense talking was Nabiki. "Kasumi...it's me Nabiki...are you feeling alright?" *No reply* "Kasumi...are you okay in there? I'm coming in..." Still no reply came and when Nabiki turned the knob of Kasumi's door it was locked.  
  
Kasumi was currently sitting down on her bed, her body half covered by her blanket and she stared down blankly at the heart shape object that hung from her neck. She wondered where he was now and hoping he wasn't too angry with what had happened in the kitchen a few hours ago. "He always has such a big appetite when he comes back from being hit by Akane..." she smiled a little while she thought about it but her smile quickly faded away.  
  
Kasumi had spent the entire afternoon trying to understand why she felt like the way she did. She was upset at how Akane treated Ranma that afternoon and she always would be but this time it felt like she was really upset almost angry at her little sister. Kasumi's heart pained when she saw her sister raising her fists up ready to hit the boy but her heart felt relief when see saw Ranma blocked her sister's punch. She just couldn't understand it "Why am I feeling like this? I felt like just going over to Akane and giving her a slap on the face. She has always treated Ranma so badly and the poor boy just keeps on coming back for more...sometimes I wish that Ranma was engaged to me..." and with those words it hit her.  
  
"Oh my...Kasumi don't tell me you've fallen for the boy" she said to herself. She couldn't deny it the signs were all there. Since the time Ranma told her that he had at that time kissed her as Ranma-chan to all the time they spent in between the two days. The pendant gift he gave her just added more fuel to the fire that was already burning albeit secretly inside her heart. And when Kasumi had lost control of her emotions and started to cry into Ranma's chest he didn't run...for the first time she knew that Ranma didn't run away from being in close contact with a female. And for the finale it was the kiss they shared a gentle and loving kiss.  
  
"I've fallen in love with Ranma..." Kasumi finally admitted it to herself and she knew that she wasn't lying about it. By now the knocking on her door grew louder and she knew that her family might resort to breaking her door down so she got up got a piece of paper and started to write something. After she had finished her note she slid it under her door.  
  
The crowd camped outside her room saw the note and picking it up it read.  
  
To all,  
  
I am fine but I don't feel like speaking to anyone except Ranma. So when he comes back please ask him to come up to my room. I want you all to know that each one of you have done the poor boy wrong and if you don't realize what you have done to him then I am disappointed in you all. And tell Akane that if she harms Ranma when he or she comes back I shall be very very cross with her.  
  
Kasumi  
  
P.S Nabiki Ranma might be hiding under the bridge of the river...  
  
The note left each one of them with big gaping jaws. It was the first time that Kasumi had ever done anything so direct and blatant before. "Ah...my baby girl has rebelled against me..." cried Soun who once again began his water works. "This is serious...I better try and find Ranma quick he has a lot of explaining to do when I do find him..." said Nabiki.  
  
Meanwhile under a certain bridge of the river not far away from the Tendo dojo sat a rather forlorn looking Ranma... He wasn't so upset that Akane had thought that he had done something to Kasumi but it was more of why did he had raised his hand to block her punch. He usually would take it as he had always thought that he had done something wrong each previous time but at that time in the kitchen he was truly confident with himself that he didn't do anything wrong to Kasumi so why would he accept being sent to orbit by Akane's punch.  
  
A lot of things were going in his head at the moment, first was when did he start to get so sentimental and protective with Kasumi. He never had once gotten so worked up with any girl before not even his fiancées. That fact alone made him even more confused and then he heard it again the voice talking inside of him  
  
"Come on Ranma you not as dumb as they say you are now are you. You of all people should know what's going on here...you just aren't looking hard enough inside of yourself." said the voice. Ranma listen hard and thought hard about it...he asked himself these questions.  
  
Why did I feel so guilty about leaving Kasumi alone? Why did I confess to her about how I really feel when I'm with her? Why did I buy that pendant for her with the money I was saving up? Why did I feel so sad when I saw Kasumi crying? Why did I not push Kasumi away when she kissed me? Why did I never tell her how pretty she looks?  
  
The last question hit his gut real hard..."Wait where did that come from!?" he shouted silently to himself. He then stared quietly at the river water that trickled along...then after a few more deep thoughts he finally figured it out "Oh my...It can't be...it has to be...right?" And with the said Ranma stood up and started to walk out from under the bridge and half-way climbing up the river bank he saw Nabiki walking towards him.  
  
"Saotome Ranma...you have a lot of explaining to do" Nabiki smirked.  
  
"I know...just let me get home in one piece while I'm still thinking straight..."  
  
As Ranma entered the living room he was met with cold hard stares...from Soun to his own father and worst off Akane whom he knew was ready to smash him into the ground and maybe more. As a very pissed Akane stood up and started to walk to the boy all the while rolling up her sleeves her eyes were burning into him. Nabiki suddenly stepped in between the two and showed Akane Kasumi's letter. As Akane read it her eyes almost popped out but she reluctantly stepped back and sat back down her rage still visible but controlled. "Okay Ranma...someone wants to see you..." Nabiki reminded Ranma. "I know...just don't wait on us okay...it might take the whole night to talk things out between us and I also would appreciate it if any of you wouldn't eavesdrop on us." Nabiki just smiled at him as he slowly walked up the stairs.  
  
The End  
  
How did it go...better or worst? Just be honest...=) 


	4. Chapter 3 Final Chapterfor now

Standard Disclaimer applies here as well....  
  
A/N Sorry to those who have read chap 2 as I said at the end of the chapie that it was the end but forgot to mention wait for the next chapter hehe Gomen... hope this chapie brings the story to a good end...and isn't too weak. Just look at the epilogue to read my explanation of the whole story line hehe.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
As Ranma stood there standing in front of Kasumi's door he tried his best to compose himself. This wasn't something that he had done a lot of...knocking on a girl's door and having a 'long talk'. But Kasumi mattered to him now no...she meant a lot to him now so he knocked lightly on Kasumi's door.  
  
"Kasumi it's me...Ranma..." As he waited for some kind of response Ranma could hear the furious patter of rushed footsteps from behind the door. A subtle clicking of the unlocking door soon followed that. As the door opened up to him a little he heard a "Please come in..."  
  
Ranma slowly walked in and heard Kasumi relock the door behind him once he had fully entered her room. The two stood for a while in silence...Ranma looking at down at his feet while Kasumi leaning on the door looked at Ranma's back. The unmoving silence between them was unbearable but this was more due to each other not knowing where to begin then rather having nothing to talk about.  
  
"Come on Ranma say something..." he silently urged himself. So as he turned around to face the door where Kasumi stood.  
  
"Are you alright/okay Kasumi/Ranma?" they both asked each other simultaneously. The pair looked at each other for a moment before they let out a few muted giggles that lifted the heavy veil of anxiety around them.  
  
Kasumi walked over and sat down on her bed, she patted the spot next to her asking Ranma to sit beside her. Ranma did as she asked and as he sat down beside her Kasumi had to fight the urge to take his hand in hers just to hold it. She felt she needed his touch to calm her down like the morning before.  
  
"Ranma...did you run and hide under the bridge again?" asked Kasumi as she calmly managed to shift her hand near to Ranma's on the bed but just managing not to touch.  
  
"Yeah...hey how did you know Kasumi?"  
  
"I saw you a few times sitting down there by yourself just staring at the river as I was walking back from my shopping. Usually after I've reached home I would find that you just had a big fight with Akane. So I sort of guessed after a while that the place might be your favorite spot to get away from things."  
  
Ranma smiled at Kasumi "I guess I can't hide from you the next time then eh...?" he joked.  
  
Kasumi gave him a tender poke in his sides "That's not a nice thing to say..." as she continued on her light playful prodding.  
  
Ranma tried to fight Kasumi's pokes but all he managed to do was grab Kasumi's hands in his and once he did she stopped. They stared at each other and decide to stop their playful moment for a while. Their hands though were still joined when they continued on with their conversation.  
  
"Ranma...I've been thinking...about a lot of things...mostly about you and me...if there is a you and me..."  
  
"Yeah me too...Kasumi..." replied Ranma as he stole a glance at Kasumi.  
  
"Ranma...I never told you the reason why I liked this pendant so much did I...?"  
  
Ranma shook his head.  
  
"Well truth is this pendant looks exactly like the one my mother always wore when I was young. It was her favorite and when she passed away she was cremated with it. So when I first saw it displayed in the shop window I had second thoughts of buying it because it reminded me of my mother and also who is going notice me wearing it? It'd be a waste to own something so beautiful but never have the chance to wear it. But you know what Ranma...this afternoon when you ran away...it reminded me more of you then my mother..."  
  
Ranma turned and noticing the aforementioned pendant hanging around her neck he smiled.  
  
"Looks nice on you Kasumi you know that...I guess I bought it for you because I just wanted you to be happy for once. When I saw you looking at it I knew you liked it and thought what the heck if that pendant makes you smile so sweetly then might as well get it for you since you seldom do anything for yourself. You were always the one who did things for other people and never once got anything for it. The pendant was sort of my way of saying thanks from me and pops as we've bothered you and the others long enough..."  
  
"No...Uncle Genma and you aren't a bother..." Kasumi lightly protested.  
  
"You're not a very good liar...Kasumi" smiled Ranma.  
  
Kasumi blushed.  
  
"But..." her words were stopped by Ranma's fingers on her lips.  
  
"Kasumi the main reason I came back was to clear a few things up with you...Since that day you got sick I've been feeling sort of strange and to tell you the truth I sort of liked how it felt. I didn't know what it was at first but later that afternoon when you cried, deep inside my heart it felt so bad like it really hurt me to see you crying. Then when you kissed me ... it felt so nice... I felt like I wanted it to go on..." Kasumi's eyes started to tear as she listened to Ranma heartfelt words.  
  
"Ranma...do you know why I seem to know a lot about you even though we don't talk much?" Kasumi glanced over to him and he shrugged. "Well it's because I have always been keeping an eye on you...I mean it's not easy to ignore you now...you're always either fighting with your dad or Akane or with the rest of your fiancées and your friends. At first I thought you were brash maybe rude and a total stranger so I watched you more to protect my sisters and me. But the more I watched you, the more I realized that you just wanted all the people around you to understand your intentions. And the only way you knew how to make them understand was to fight...with them so they'd listen."  
  
Kasumi's examination of his actions and her reasoning of why he did all the things he did made Ranma eyes lit up. "That's right..." he replied. "And you know what...I know deep inside here..." Kasumi pointed to his heart "That there is a young man who is kind hearted, gentle and understanding, it's just that you've been pushing him back so far into yourself that he was forgotten. All everyone ever sees is the brashness and cockiness of Saotome Ranma nothing more."  
  
"Geez...Kasumi I didn't want to act all sissy and all that...I had to act tough and manly so I could make my mom proud of me and to show everyone that I am a winner..." Ranma tried to make his case out to Kasumi but she stopped him continuing.  
  
"Did it work? Are you proud of yourself? Are you happy?" she asked him. Kasumi's conviction of winning this 'fight' with Ranma was high but she needed him to say the words to earn victory. She wanted him to say what he really feels and not what other people wants him to feel.  
  
Ranma looked intently at her, and then sighed. "No...everyday I face the same things...always fighting with other people. Sometimes I get tired of fighting over something so petty like just having a talk with Ukyo or accepting a meal from Shampoo. There are my friends but sometimes the mess that comes after them is just too much. But this engagement thing I can't just throw it aside and forget about it...I have to stick with it since it involves my family honor and yours as well Kasumi. But...I sometimes wish that I could just be for once to be an ordinary boy without this curse, without the entire fiancée thing haunting me. Tell you the truth I'm a guy who likes to get to know a girl better before marrying her...you know go out on dates maybe just simply talking."  
  
Kasumi simply smiled at Ranma who was by each passing minute spent beside her was turning into a man before her eyes.  
  
"But Ranma...things aren't going to change over night...we've done things that if the others find out, it might get even harder on you...like my first kiss..." Kasumi blushed red when she mentioned that.  
  
Ranma blushed too "Kasumi that was your first kiss...emmm...well that was mine or rather Ranma-chan's first kiss so we're sort of even then huh?" Ranma laughed a little but he stopped laughing when Kasumi's face came into his view and she kissed him.  
  
"So now...does that count as Saotome Ranma's first kiss?" she cooed as she pulled her lips back from his. Ranma didn't answer but instead he smiled as he slowly pushed his lips onto Kasumi's. "Now...that makes us even at two kisses each..." grinned Ranma.  
  
"Ranma...if I said I was in love with you...would you run away or think I'm crazy?" asked Kasumi while gazing at Ranma who face was just barely a breath away.  
  
"Would you think that I was nuts for saying that I might have fallen in love with you?" replied Ranma. The two laughed at each other for a while before the room regained its silence as they rather say nothing but just hold hands.  
  
"Kasumi ... I don't know how much this is worth but I've actually noticed you for a long time now. From that first day in the living room when I arrived as I looked at the three of you and when pops said that one of you were going to be my fiancée I was sort of hoping that it might be you. Cause I saw in your eyes and your demeanor what I thought a perfect wife would be at least back then...and come to think of it now I was sort of right in a way. But when you pushed me off to Akane I thought maybe you didn't like me so I didn't make much of it...and kept it to myself" Ranma suddenly felt Kasumi's grip tighten on his hand as he said that.  
  
"I'm sorry Ranma...for pushing you off like that as the oldest I should be the one to take the responsibility but I just didn't know who you were then...but now after having gotten to know you better...I think you've...grown up." Ranma let out a giggle.  
  
"You think I've grown up eh?" Replied Ranma with a rather mischievous grin as Ranma's free hand started to tickle Kasumi on her stomach. Between their laughter and their pushes and pulls, the two didn't notice that they ended up lying on top of each other on Kasumi's bed.  
  
"Uh...we better stop huh..." panted Ranma. Kasumi who was blushing heavily red nodded.  
  
The two got up and dusted themselves to look presentable to the waiting crowd below them. Looking at each other one last time they closed in for one quick kiss. "Kasumi...I don't really know how to handle Akane..."  
  
"Let me handle that..." she smiled. "Please Kami-sama let my decision and my actions be the right one..." prayed Kasumi silently. She didn't want to destroy her family but she also didn't want to forfeit her newfound relationship.  
  
As the pair walked down and fought off the various stares they got they sat down in front of the whole family. "Well?" they shouted at the two.  
  
Kasumi gently cleared her throat. "Can I have the note please?"  
  
Nabiki passed the now very much-crumpled piece of paper that was in due thanks to Akane. "I'm sure everyone has read the note...so do you understand what you have done wrong to Ranma?" she looked around and heave a sigh at the blank looks she got back.  
  
"Okay...let me say them out then. Let's start with father and uncle Genma. The two of you were the cause of this fine mess in the first place. If you two hadn't pushed this marriage issue onto either of our families then we wouldn't be in such a mess. We all have our own lives to led father and uncle Genma if you wanted to join the families then the two of you could have found ways to make the process less painful both emotional and physically." Kasumi gave a quick look to Ranma and continued "But what's done is done and hopefully it shall be soon resolved."  
  
The two elders were about to speak up but Kasumi stared back at them and dared them to interrupt her. The two quickly retreated down.  
  
"Next is Nabiki...Nabiki your only wrong was to use Ranma for financial gain...I do not disprove of you betting on his fights in school but I do strongly disprove of you selling nude photos of Ranma-chan. Would you like it if the roles were reversed on you and Ranma was selling nude photos of you bathing or sleeping?" Kasumi stopped and looked at Nabiki who tried not to look at her. "Well Nabiki?" her voice a little louder then before. "No...but he Ranma's too chicken to do it anyway" came Nabiki's muted reply.  
  
"That's where you're wrong Nabiki, Ranma could have done it but he didn't as he had too much respect for you as a girl. And also it was me who burned those rather rude pictures of Ranma-chan which you took of her that hot summer." Nabiki could only stare wide eyed at her sister at her confession of burning the extra special Ranma-chan photo collection that she had wanted to auction of at school.  
  
"And finally Akane..." sighed Kasumi.  
  
Hearing her name "But Kasumi...I didn't do anything wrong..." she squeaked.  
  
"Do you want to marry Ranma?" Kasumi asked her plain and simple.  
  
"Who would want to get married to a sex changing pervert like him...!" she shouted.  
  
"I would!" exclaimed Kasumi.  
  
Her reply made her entire family face vault all with the exception of Akane who was trying hard to figure out how what had just happened, while the rest of her family's jaw made nice indentations on the table.  
  
"Before any of you say anything I would like to say that Ranma is a kind and gentle young man. You don't see it Akane but I do and I have been seeing it for the past one and a half years now since he came here. I've seen how hard he tries to do everything by himself, sometimes he succeeds and sometimes he fails. But he never gives up trying to keep everyone happy regardless. He never complains about it to anyone and he never shows anyone his true emotions. None of you have ever asked him how he felt about things and that can be said about me too. The two of us have always tried our best to do things the right thing but we can't do it forever. Father and uncle Genma if you two were to push Ranma too far about the marriage issue one day wouldn't you two be surprised to see him run off one day and never return. Nabiki if you took a photo of Ranma that really made Ranma mad you think he wouldn't hit you? And Akane if you keep on hitting Ranma for doing things you thought were perverted wouldn't you think he'd one day retaliate back?"  
  
Every member of her silent family had begun to feel the sad truth behind all of Kasumi's words and all of them also thought that when Kasumi really wanted to talk she had a lot to talk about.  
  
"Akane I've tried so many times to help you get closer to Ranma but all you manage to do is to push him further away. All the times you accused him of being a pervert, did you once stop to think about it and listen to his side of the story. All those times he ran into you changing or bathing did you remember to put out the occupied sign? You would have noticed or at least I've noticed that when Ranma sees the sign he would simply walk away and wait for his turn. And I'm sorry to say this but if you think Ranma was always being close to his other fiancées so that he could bed them well I don't blame him either. Looking at his other fiancées they have slightly more merits then you possess Akane. I'm sorry I said that Akane but he didn't get close to them to bed them he did it to keep them happy. Same as you he when he want to get close to you to try to make you happy but you just kept on hitting him. I'm sure Ranma had plenty of chances to sleep with them. But did he? No. Shampoo's been throwing herself at him countless of times already and any other man would have jumped at the chance but Ranma kept himself pure. And Akane in most cases where you have accused Ranma of being in the wrong more often or not it's not his fault."  
  
Akane really didn't want to hear all this at the moment and she had blocked out most of Kasumi's words half way. She thought that she was in a bad dream... "Why is Kasumi doing this??" she thought to herself.  
  
"Father...I hereby using my authority as the oldest Tendo daughter to ask you to transfer the engagement promise of our family from Akane to me...please accept my request." Kasumi bowed gently to her father.  
  
"Well Kasumi...why don't we hear what the two young ones have to say first before making a decision..." Soun tried his best to be diplomatic about it but he knew who was holding all the aces of the discussion.  
  
Ranma looked at Akane but all he got in return was a raspberry tongue shot. "Pops..." he spoke up "I acknowledge the Tendo claim as the genuine claim but I no longer want to be Akane's fiancé. I hope you understand. I loved her once and once even killed for her but I've noticed that no matter how much I tried to get close to her I would always get smashed by her mallet or her fists to somewhere. If it weren't for Kasumi's first aid I wouldn't be here today. I don't think Akane's a bad girl it's just that she just needs to open herself up more...that's all I can say on that subject. Akane I blocked your punch this afternoon because I finally realized that I didn't do anything wrong. I was holding Kasumi because she was weak and had just finishing crying. A lot of things happened over the weekend. It took all of those things to make me see something that I haven't seen. It took me a while to realize it but after the events that happened well I think I'm in love with Kasumi..."  
  
Ranma looked over to Kasumi and seeing her smile he continued.  
  
"So pops if you don't mind I would like to be engaged to Kasumi instead of Akane...that is if she is willing to let me go." Ranma mirrored Kasumi bow to his father.  
  
"Well...I guess it's up to Akane now..." uttered the oldest Saotome.  
  
Everyone looked at Akane...  
  
"I...umm...why...Kasumi...why...you always had everything you wanted you were always mother's favorite..." her eyes were tearing up her voice trying to hold back her building rage.  
  
She looked up at Kasumi and noticed for the first time that she was wearing a pendant that looked awfully familiar to her. "You were always mother's favorite...she even gave you her favorite pendant that I wanted her to give me!!" she continued.  
  
Akane voice had begun to grow louder and angrier.  
  
"You never had to ask for things...you always got them without asking...! I always had to ask for the things I wanted be it a new dress or a new doll or a new purse. I always had to ask. But you never!!! I remember seeing mother making you a new dress and as for me all I got were your old ones...And now you have the audacity to steal the next thing I hold dear...how could you...!?" she shouted.  
  
Nobody could foresee that Akane would be now rushing over to her oldest sister raising her open hand readying to slap her. But when she swung her hands down she felt her hands being restraint back. Her open palm stood inches from Kasumi's cheeks but they never made it Ranma now held Akane's wrists and pushed it back.  
  
Kasumi stood up and looked at her sister.  
  
*Slap*  
  
Everyone was shocked to the sight of Kasumi actually striking her younger sister but there it was Kasumi standing with her open palm and Akane now on the floor holding her red cheek. "This isn't mother's pendant...it just looks like it. Mother's pendant is still with her in heaven...Ranma bought this for me when we were out shopping!" shouted Kasumi. Her voice was clearly trembling with each spoken word. Soun was trying hard to not blow out into his waterworks as this time it was his family's own well being at stake.  
  
It pained Kasumi to see her sister act the way she was but she never knew that Akane was so jealous of her from her day one. "Akane...don't be so spoiled you had your chance to make it work with Ranma. I've tried my best to help you out and all you ever did was either to forget what I told you or simply ignore me completely."  
  
"DID YOU? DID YOU TRY YOUR BEST!!!?" Akane shouted at Kasumi.  
  
"Yes...I always did" replied Kasumi her face saddened for a moment.  
  
"I wanted you to be happy first before me...when mother died you were hit the hardest among us. You sort of isolated yourself from other people and the people around who cared for you. You were always too busy either training or doing your own things all the time. And when Ranma came I thought he could make you open up more. But all I see now is that you never changed a single bit from that day he first came. Please Akane...not for my sake but our family sake."  
  
"Never...I'd never let Ranma go without a fight..." Akane scowled.  
  
"Fine if it's a fight you want then you shall have one..." Kasumi looked over to Ranma. "Ranma is it okay with you if we have a fight to see who would be your fiancée?" Ranma sweat dropped for a while but calmly nodded his head to her.  
  
"Five minutes Akane...we met in the Dojo..."  
  
Soun, Genma, Nabiki and Ranma soon gathered into the Dojo and in the middle now changed into their gi's stood Kasumi and Akane. Everyone knew that Akane was the best fighter in the Tendo family and even Ranma was a little worried. While Ranma was helping Kasumi tie her hair he was about to ask why she accepted but Kasumi simply winked at him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
Akane and Kasumi were both poised and ready in their separate stance. Each one waiting for each other to attack first and neither of them had to wait long as Akane lunged forward and readied herself to give a full strength sidekick to Kasumi's midsection. Everyone thought that it was over but to their surprise Kasumi had managed to leap upwards to avoid Akane's kick. She landed a few steps beside Akane and after re-gathering herself Kasumi made her attack. Kasumi ran towards Akane with fists readied, Akane saw this and was ready for an upper body blow so she was ready to block her with her hands but it never came as Kasumi on the last possible minute bent down low and swept Akane off her feet.  
  
Ranma watched the fight with great interest and he began noticing something that probably no one else saw...he cracked a smile. Akane was now pissed with herself for letting Kasumi sweep her off her feet the way she did. As she stood up and dusted herself off she couldn't help but wonder why this fight seemed so familiar somehow. Akane didn't dwell on that long as she readied for her next attack. And this time she was certain that it would finish Kasumi off for good thus leaving her with full fiancée rights to Ranma once again.  
  
Akane stepped a few paces back and after satisfied with the distance she began to run towards Kasumi. Kasumi readied herself the best she could to brace herself from Akane's upcoming attack. Akane ran until she was a few meters from Kasumi and leapt upwards. While in mid-air Akane positioned herself to attack, it was a punching attack from the air. Kasumi saw this and as Akane was about to land her punch Kasumi stepped back a step and leapt upwards seemingly to intercept Akane.  
  
"Shishkabob kick!" echoed around the Dojo.  
  
As the dust settled the two figures of Kasumi and Akane stood on different sides of the Dojo. Akane turned around as Kasumi stood up from where they landed. They faced each other and Akane dropped to her knees clutching her waist while Kasumi gently hobbled on her left foot..."How could you use one of Ranma's kicks on me? Even I don't know how he does it..." Akane moaned feeling the slight pain from the side of her stomach.  
  
"It's easy really..." Kasumi's explanation was then interrupted by someone's soft clapping.  
  
"It's easy really if you seen someone do it long enough and often enough to memorize it by heart. Right ...Kasumi?" Ranma gave Kasumi a wink after he had finished.  
  
"How?" moaned Akane again who was getting help from Nabiki to stand up.  
  
With a blush around her face Kasumi answered "Well...whenever Ranma would practice in the mornings by the garden I would just watch him from the kitchen and when he practices in the dojo I would sometime just peek in on one of his many practices from the Dojo door. I've been watching him do those moves for so long now that I can pretty much well copy them..."  
  
"Except that you don't practice it enough...that's how you got this..." smiled Ranma as he walked over to help support Kasumi and pointed to her rather red swollen right foot.  
  
"You're supposed to use the sole of your foot instead of the upper part of your foot but you still managed to hit Akane with your toes...so lets get some ice on them to reduce the swelling" grinned Ranma.  
  
After all was said and done the family once again gathered back into the dining room for the next part of the fiancé handover meeting. Everyone was still a little jumpy as the fight was far from clear and the air was still heavy. As Kasumi was carried in by Ranma she was sporting a rather large ice pack on her right foot he help Kasumi sit herself down on her usual spot.  
  
"Do you release Ranma as your fiancée?" Kasumi asked Akane again.  
  
"I guess..." sighed Akane whose face showed utter bitterness towards her answer.  
  
"Thank you..." Kasumi bowed to her sister.  
  
"Father, do we have your blessing on my engagement with Ranma?" Kasumi now asked looking at her father.  
  
"Yes...you two can get engaged." Pronounce a weak-smiling Soun.  
  
"Pops, do I have your blessing to get engaged to Kasumi?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Yeah as long as you do it right this time boy..." moaned the older Saotome waving his hands in the air.  
  
"I'd make sure he doesn't screw this one up uncle Genma..." laughed Kasumi as she hugged Ranma and gave him a kiss on his cheek.  
  
The end 


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue:  
  
A/N:  
  
First off I want to thank and thank again to very one who have read this piece of Fanfiction of mine and loved it. This fic is by far one of my most well received fic and seeing the reviews I was left speechless for a while...made me glad that I kept on writing. I know I make mistakes and my fics sometimes don't go smoothly but putting my ideas to words sometimes don't go out as I plan and I'm sure you guys have all felt that before. But thanks for your tolerance of my mistakes and still found it enjoyable to read.  
  
I have been asked to do proper editing of my formatting but it's formatted automatically by FF.net. I'm using words to type all my fics so I don't really know how to make it fit properly for FF.net any suggestions or tips to give me?  
  
A/N on Fic:  
  
I know I have a lot of explaining to do so I'd make it short but to the point.  
  
1. The 'pill scene' I know it might confuse or even seem out of place to you guys but I had the weird idea of using a Mononoke Hime (Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece I'm just borrowing it) scene here the one where San chews medicinal bark for Ashitaka I thought of using that for this I guess it didn't go to plan as I hoped it...And to The Holy Beergut I didn't know that I had exactly described a scene from the OMG manga but your right it is pure coincidence (maybe Belldandy was guiding me when I wrote it haha...) and I knew that Belldandy and Kasumi share the same Seiyuu Voice but thank you anyway for the info.  
  
2. The NWC is somewhat absent... yes I didn't put them in here but I really didn't envision them being in this fic at all. I was thinking of just to get Ranma and Kasumi together and engaged. I was sort of thinking that since it was Kasumi all of the NWC would leave her alone thinking that she doesn't have a shot at Ranma at all. But in that respect I left the ending pretty open as I might re-continue this on at some later time. The idea of the NWC finding out that Ranma is Kasumi's fiancé now and how they react is pretty interesting but I'm afraid that I might not do it justice. It will take a lot of chapters and I'm just struggling to finish 3 without messing up the plot this time around. If any of you guys wish to continue then your most welcomed. =)  
  
3. The fight scene between Akane and Kasumi might be a little less then exciting but I don't describe fights that well and same goes with Lemons I don't think I can ever do a lemon... but I hope you guys got the point in that scene. And if you guys thought Akane was a little soft on letting Ranma go well just think of it as she had a temporary shock to her system that she lost to all people Kasumi...=)  
  
I guess that's about it so please do wait for my next update of my other fics or new fic's. I'll try to put some of them out before this month ends... Big thanks to you all for reading all my R+K fics so far and have liked them, gives me the will to write more about my favorite pairing Ranma and Kasumi.  
  
Arigato Gozaimasu. 


End file.
